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Topic: RO5 Troubadour (Read 6871 times)

Back around 1998, I was at Encore Music (Minneapolis), & the owner (Chad) had just picked up a dozen or so Strumsticks from McNally at NAMM. McNally is the company that came up with a travel guitar good enough to be exclusively licensed by Martin, sold as the Backpacker line. Their main line, though, is basically fretted as a mountain dulcimer, but with three strings.

I stared at these little skinny things hanging on the wall. I laughed. I tried a couple. I pried myself away from buying two or three.

It's an odd little instrument, somewhere between a banjo & mandolin. With a banjo capo, it just invited all sorts of Chinese & Arabic tunes. A great addition to any guitarist's range.

A year later, in coincidence, I bought a Grand Strumstick from McNally & treasure it.

Then Washburn ripped it off -- sorry, but true -- & improved on it with a more travel-durable design, & that's the Troubadour. By the time I found out about it, the RO5 had been discontinued, & it had kinda failed commercially so nobody had one in stock. At MSRP $139.90, it met the fate of so many uber-cool Washburn instruments... but I'd still kinda like one.

I just purchased a brand new one off of ebay, and I absolutely love the thing! They are discontinued, but appear to be several sources who sell them. I feel lucky I picked mine up for $76 shipped to the house!

I know it's been awhile since anyone has posted on this thread, but I have a related question. I'm trying to compare the obsolete Washburn RO5 to the McNally Strumstick. I gather that the RO5 has a slightly narrower neck but I'm curious about the actual difference. Can some who ones either measure the neck width, please? TIA.